Chicago Cubs left-fielder Alfonso Soriano may be moved down in the order, according to manager Lou Pinella. The once speedy lead off man has spent several years at the top of the order, but his injuries over the past two years have limited his base-stealing potential. Although the Cubs were 33 games above .500 with Soriano in the lead off spot, they may benefit from pushing him down in the order, paving way for Ryan Theriot or Aaron Miles to step into the role, creating more balance in terms of on-base-percentage, stolen bases and more patience at the top of the order.
Alf has said he is OK with the move, as long as he is in the lineup on a daily basis. I think Alf would benefit more in terms of power numbers in the sixth spot, behind the combination of Lee-Ramirez-Soto/Bradley. Keeping him down in the order could prevent him from landing on the Disabled List for the third consecutive summer.
Let's face it: Alf is not a patient hitter, he swings for the fences and not for average, and is not the prototypical lead off man. I think Pinella is making the right move here. Give him some AB's in the middle of the order during Spring Training and see how the lineup pans out.
The-Riot has been my favorite Cub for quite some time, the man is badass. I'd like to see him in the leadoff spot. He was seemingly always on base, and he isn't afraid to steal. There were way too many times last year where Soriono was sent back to the bench after a "he-man" swing and a miss. I like this move.
ReplyDeleteToo much is made about batting orders. Statistically speaking, the best way to maximize run production is to put the players with the highest OBP at the top and lowest OBP players at the bottom. But even this leads to a modest run increase over the span of 162 games. It's so modest that it's likely to make a difference of about two or three wins.
ReplyDeleteHowever, lineups are good fodder for debate. Obviously Soriano doesn't fit the profile as a high OBP guy. Ideally, he would bat around 5th in the lineup. I'm not sure Theriot's the answer as the leadoff man either. He did have a high OBP, but can he repeat it? And should a guy who hit one homer be getting more at bats than anyone else on the team?
Again, it won't make a huge difference. But you never know for sure how tight the playoff race will be. Personally, as a Cubs fan, I won't be upset wherever Soriano hits. It would just be nice to see him stay healthy for 150+ games.
I would love to see Soriano move farther down in the line-up. As much as I love to see a game led off with a leadoffa home run, the Cubs would benefit a lot more if Alfonso was hitting those with men on base, obviously.
ReplyDelete29 Hrs and 75 RBI
103 Ks in 109 Games
I think those numbers speak for themselves.